FIC: "Just Friends" 8/10 B/W

The sun was barely rising when Buffy got out of the bed, very softly as to not wake up the sleeping redhead beside her. The slayer had been awake for a long moment already. She silently got dressed and headed downstairs.

A short while later Faith got out of her room and headed to the kitchen, she raised her brows when she saw her blonde counterpart sitting on a chair, a cup of coffee still full in front of her. Buffy?s elbows were on the table and she was taking her head in between her hands and not moving. Faith simply walked to the coffee machine as to warm up again some for her. She felt Buffy moving at her entrance and she simply said:

?So was it good??

Faith couldn?t help smiling as she could feel Buffy?s frozen face even though she wasn?t looking at her. The brunette slayer turned around to -admire- this time and indeed Buffy was looking stunned, she shook her head as if telling herself she must?ve misunderstood Faith?s comment so the brunette added as if to make sure she had not:

?I bet it was, what with all the moaning and screaming?

Buffy?s eyes almost got out of her and she looked at her hands, her face was alternating between a crimson red and a vampire-white so much she was feeling bad at ease. She gulped several times and didn?t look at Faith anymore until the brunette added:

?Pity, always thought I?d be the one losing your cherry. For the girl on girl action of course?

The brunette sat in front of Buffy with her cup of hot coffee while Buffy was looking at her even more completely stunned at that last comment. Faith added:

?Come on, like you never got it? Don?t make me believe you really were all prude-like and naïve like you pretended to be right??

Buffy was still staring at her with wide eyes and Faith smiled:

?I was coming on really strong to you, tell me you never got it and I?ll call you a real blonde?

Buffy slightly looked aside and Faith nodded:

?I prefer that. Anyway too late now, your loss, or... maybe not, well I?m more of a -stick- person myself so I guess red?s probably more experienced in that area than I am so... good choice on you in fact?

Faith?s tone was very light; she was smiling while Buffy took her head in between her hands again. Faith said:

?What?s wrong? And if you tell me it wasn?t good I can assure you Buffy that no one in this house, well at least those sleeping upstairs, no one will believe you B?

Faith was still joking, Buffy meant to get up but the brunette held her back telling her more seriously:

?Lighten up B, I?m kidding. I was walking by your room that?s why I heard you, I didn?t hear anything after that, well I was busy with Robin on my own but still... pretty sure no one else knows about you two?

Buffy frowned:

?You and... Robin??

Faith nodded:

?Told you, stick person, and he?s a good fuck I must say?

Buffy shook her head and Faith went on:

?So come on, what?s wrong??

?Nothing I wanna discuss with you Faith?

Faith frowned and said with sarcasm:

?Like you have many other options??

Buffy shook her head again:

?Yes, not talking at all?

She meant to get up again but Faith held her back:

?Come on Buffy don?t go, I mean... Look I-, ok I?m joking but... you know I care... for you, I always did... I mean, you can talk to me?

Faith?s tone was far more serious and also a bit more hesitant, Buffy relaxed like she would always do when Faith?s though barrier were going away despite the brunette?s will. Buffy even smiled a bit before sitting again and taking her annoyed gaze on, she started:

?I can?t believe it happened. I don?t understand how we got to that?

Faith looked hesitant:

?You... both wanted to, right??

Buffy nodded almost ashamed:

?Yes, can?t believe how much?

?There?s nothing wrong with it Buffy. It?s Willow and-?

?Yes it?s WILLOW. As in, my best friend, it?s, I-I. Oh God? Buffy took her head in her hands again and Faith said:

?Normally I would ask how it happened, if you?d both drank too much or if you were just coming back from patrol but there I won?t because it?s no mystery, I haven?t been back for long but still I?ve been able to feel it Buffy; the tension, the sexual yet emotional tension between red and you, red and Kennedy as well, well lots of tension in fact, I got lost what I meant is, it was in the air, I?m sorry there was so -obviously- something going on between you two and I guess it needed to be solved?

Buffy almost exclaimed:

?But the thing is it?s not. You still think sex is the key word for everything??

Faith slightly raised her brows:

?Well... it does open lots of doors at least... Ok, ok, I?m kiddin but... Well what?s the problem now? What do you feel for her??

Buffy avoided Faith?s gaze as she replied:

?Come on Faith we?re talking about Willow, best pal remember? Be serious?

Faith looked very serious:

?I am. I?m talking about Willow Rosenberg, a powerful yet sweet girl, clever and beautiful, I?m talking about the woman who?s been on your mind these last months and with whom you?ve made love all night long, so I?m really serious because I know you were. You?re not like me on that level, even with Spike it became something important, you don?t make -casual- love. So if it happened with red my guess; not for nothing. So now, again, what do you feel for her? Truth B?

Buffy looked very confused yet calmer now than when Faith first came in. She couldn?t reply. Faith went on:

?I guess you should go back upstairs to talk with her about this now instead of being here, don?t you think??

Buffy shook her head:

?I can?t handle this Faith. Really I can?t?

Faith sighed:

?Why? Because she?s a girl?

?Maybe?

?Come on, you?ve dated vampires, I?d say you?re in progress?

?Stop joking, I just can?t love her that way it?s- I can?t talk about that with you anyway, I gotta go?

Buffy got up and Faith frowned:

?Hey where you?re going??

?Something I gotta do?

?You can?t, the plan today; tunnel, you forgotten??

?No I-, look I have to go away?

?Buffy come on, you?re not a kid anymore, you can?t run away like that?

?I?m not I-I have something to do??

?But what about the plan??

?I can?t think about it, you shouldn?t go, this plan is crap, I-just do whatever I don?t know.... I don?t know anymore... look, I?ll be back?

Buffy opened the garden?s door and left. Faith sighed, very annoyed then the garden?s door opened again and Buffy showed up telling her:

?Err Faith??

Faith frowned:

?Yeah B??

?I... care about you too you know... always did?

Buffy left on this note and Faith smiled inwardly before her worries came back.

~~~

Willow came downstairs a while later with the last woken up potentials. Faith was in the kitchen with Xander and they had prepared a good breakfast for the girls going into the tunnel. Willow looked around, checking. Faith didn?t say anything. Willow didn?t ask anything either, she went to the basement a little fearful to find Buffy there, with Spike but she came back shortly after, still searching. Giles and Dawn arrived too, Willow not seeing Buffy with them finally asked:

?Does somebody know where Buffy is??

Giles looked all around:

?Well, I?d assumed she?d be here?

Dawn looked worried too so Faith said:

?She?s out?

They all looked at the slayer, Willow moved closer:

?You saw her? Did- did she say something??

Willow could tell on Faith?s face that the brunette was aware, the redhead slightly looked aside, almost ashamed then Dawn asked:

?How?s that, out??

Xander continued:

?You mean, she went and scouted around??

?Not exactly?

The potentials in the room started to look at each other a bit puzzled. Faith went on:

?She?s out, doing something else?

Giles went closer:

?Something else? But what about the plan? Is she joining you to the tunnel or do we wait here for her to come back??

?That really would be the end? Said a voice from behind, it was Kennedy entering the kitchen, weapons already in hands, she added:

?Now can we move on to the plan??

Her tone was cold, Willow didn?t dare to look at her but Kennedy was avoiding looking at her too so everyone guessed there was something wrong with the two of them. Dawn said:

?You can?t go into battle without her?

?Yes we can, look you people, obviously Buffy doesn?t care about that plan, her business, we don?t need her anyway. Faith??

Kennedy was looking expectantly at Faith who looked thoughtful for a while; the others started protesting while Kennedy was still looking at Faith who finally said:

?Hey everyone shut it down. Girls, get ready?

Kennedy smiled in a cold satisfied way and left the room. Xander moved closer to Faith:

?Come on Faith you have to wait for Buffy?

?I don?t, I don?t want to be mean but Kennedy?s right on one thing, Buffy made it pretty clear to me she wasn?t interested in that plan, if she wants to join us she knows where we?ll be, now step aside I?ve got things to do and no time to lose. Can?t let the girls wonder that way?

Xander didn?t have a choice, he let her go.

Once everyone ready, the girls left the house, heading to the tunnel.